Primer for gas-engines.



W. T. BINTLIFF.

PRIMER FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, \915.

GASOLENE TANK INVENTOR Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES W. T. BINTLIFF.

PRIMER FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. ms.

1,237,862 Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2- W/TNESSES INVENTOR 6 i/ wvm d I ATTO UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

EWIL B ERT BINTLIFF, PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO I vI ALLEN B. LAING, 0F PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

'. To all whom it may concern Be known that I, WILBERT T. BINTLIFF,

. acitizen of the United States, residing at Plainfield, in the countyof. Union and State of New Jersey, haveinvented an Improvement inPrimers for Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

- In order to obtain an efficient explosive mixture for use in gasengines, it is necessary to combine the gas or vaporized hydro- I carbonwith air in predetermined quantities,

and it is generally known that cold gas and cold air will not commingleproperly to from an efficient explosive mixture. It-is for this reasonthat difliculty is often experienced in starting gas engines.

I am aware that heretofore various de vices have been provided for thepreliminary heating ofveither the gas or the air, or

both the gas and the air. My present inven- 'tion, however, relates toan apparatus for heating a liquid hydrocarbon fuel to a point ofvaporization, if necessary,-so that the sameis properly heated whenintroduced into a'mixing chamber to be combined with 'the air beforesupplying the same to the engine cylinder in starting the engine, and isso constructed that it may be employed at all times in the continuousrunning of a gas engine to properly vaporize kerosene or otherrelatively low grade hydrocarbons whenit is not possible or. convenientto employ gasolene.

ilTheiprimer made in accordance with my invention is preferably heatedelectrically and may be attached directly to the engine manifold orassociated with the carbureter in such a manner that the vaporizedliquid, at the necessary temperature, may pass therefrom to the chamberwherein it is mixed with the air beforeentering the engine cylinders.

The construction of my improved primer will be hereinafter moreparticularly described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan and partial cross section of a gasengine apparatus as applied to an automobile in which my improved primeris includedi --Fig.--2 is a central longitudinal section illustratingthe primer made in accordance with my invention; I

'F ig. ,3: is a, similar view showing a modifiedform of the invention.

- 'PRIMERIFOR GAS-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 21, 1917, Applicationfiled June 4, 1915. Serial No. 32,050.

Fig. 4 is also a central, longitudinal cross section illustrating theuse of the primer when combined with a carburetor, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, a plan and partial cross section and aside elevation of may be suitably secured in a manifold or other part ofthe engine apparatus, At the opposite end, the casing is provided with acover 13, which, as illustrated, is provided with a flange adapted tofit Within the open end of the casing and to be secured in positiontherein by a set screw 14, or otherwise. The cover 13 is provided with aboss 15 fitted with a cap 16 for a purpose to be hereinafter indicated.

Within the casing, I employ a coil pipe 17, which is part of the fuelsupply pipe lead-- ing from the source of liquid fuel to: the carbureteror the manifold. One end of the coil, as'indicated at 18 is set in aconical recess in the boss 15 in such a manner that a pipe connectionmay be made thereto, while the opposite end 19 of the coilpipe 17extends through a bore provided therefor in a connection 12, asindicated at 19, and may be connected to any' place at which it isdesired to discharge the vaporized hydrocarbon.

As indicated in this figure, I may employ a heat coil 20 surrounding thecoil pipe 17 with the convolutions of the heat coil-20 spaced from each'other and also separated from the coil pipe by layers of insulating orother material 21. Y

One end of the heat coil 20 is connected to a binding screw 22, securedin and in sulated from the casing 10 in any suitable manner and providedwith a thumb nut 23 by which connections may be made with a circuitwire. The opposite end of the heat coil 20 is grounded in the casing 10by being connected thereto, asindicated at 24. 2 Referring to Fig, 1,the primer, as hereinbefore described, may be directly connect ed to theengine manifold 25 by a coupling 35. The supply pipe 34 extends betweenthe T valve 33 and the intake side of the primer, and as indicated inFig. 2, this pipe passes through the cap 16 and through a filling piecewhich is forced to place by turning the cap to position, in order tomake a suitable joint between the ends of the pipes.

As also indicated in Fig. 1, it is necessary to employ a battery 36, orothersource of electricity, and one side of the battery is grounded inthe frame of the machine by a lead wire 37 while the other side of thebattery is connected by a line 38 to one side of a switch 39, the otherside of the switch being connected by a line 40 to the binding screw 22,mounted inthe casing of the primer, as hereinbefore described.

It will now be apparent that in the use of this apparatus, the controlvalve 31' of the carbureter may be closed and the T valve 33 open andthe switch 39 so placed as to put the heat coil in the battery circuitwhen it is desired to start the engine, and as will be understood arheostat or other current controlling device may be employed, ifdesired, in the battery circuit to regulate the heat generated by thecoil 20.

In the use of gasolene or other similar fuel, after the engine has beenproperly started, the carbureter valve 31' may be opened and the T valve33 closed so as to utilize the carbureter 31, but if necessary, intheuse of kerosene or other similar low grade hydrocarbon fuels, therimer may be used for the vaporization thereof in the continued runningof the engine, in order to supply to the engine cylinders 41 aneflicient ex losive mixture.

By re erence to Fig. 3, it will be seen that instead of employing theheat coil 20, as shown and described in connection with the form ofinvention shown in Fig. 2, I may construct the primer in such a manneras to heat the coil supply pi e itself, in order to vaporize the liquidfuei.

In this construction, the casing 10 is provided with a cover 42 ofinsulating material, and centrally the cover is fitted with a metalsleeve, a portion of which passes through the cover and is secured inplace therein by the nut 44 and the flange 45. The outer end of thesleeve is adapted to receive a cap 46, through which the supply pipe 34extends, and within which the pipe is connected to a bushing 47, therebeing a washer employed in order to make the necessary tight jointbetween ends of the pipes when the cap 46 is turned down to place.

The cap 46 also acts as a binding nut for a contact piece 49 secured tothe end of a lead wire 50, the contact piece being secured in placebetween the inner end of the cap and the adjacent face of the shoulder45, in order to connect the coiled portion 51 of the supply pipe in anelectric circuit, the oppo site end of this coiled portion of the su plypipe being grounded in the other end 0 the casing, as lndicated at 52.

The use of this form of the invention is precisely similar to thathereinbefore described in connection with the construction illustratedin Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the primer casing may be madean integral part of the carbureter, being placed between the float valvecasing 53 and the casing 54 of a mixin chamber 55. In this construction,the in ct end of the coiled portion of the supply pipe is secured in thefloat valve casing and is rovided with a spring controlled ball va ve 56to prevent the vaporized hydrocarbon from returning to the float valvechamber, which, as illustrated in this figure, is provided with an inletconnection 57 ada ted to be secured to the pipe leading from t e supplytank.

The opposite or discharge end of the coiled portion of the supply pipelying within the primer casing is connected in a bore provided in a wall60 extending across the mixing chamber 55, the wall 60 being providedwith a discharge nozzle 61 for the vaporized liquid fuel, and the outletpassage from the nozzle being controlled by a needle valve 62, or anyother similar and suitable device.

As is customary, the mixing chamber may be provided with a check valve63 placed below the wall 60 and with a throttle valve 64 placed abovethe wall 60.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be see-n that the primer made inaccordance with my present invention may also be employed in conjunctionwith the carbureter in such a manner that it may be used'independentlythereof. In this construction, the inlet end of the coiled supply pipein the primer is connected to the control valve 65 leadingjo" the floatvalve chamber, while the opposite supply pipe within the space inclosedby the said casing and having one end in communication with the supplytank, andthe other in communication with the mixing chamber,

and a heating coil immediately surrounding the convolutions of thesupply pipe, the said supply pipe beingopen ended and the same togetherwith the heating coil placed in the space within the casing so as toprovide for a circulation between the same and the wallsof the casing;

2. A primer'for gas engines comprising a casing providing an entirelyinclosed chamber, a supply ipe having closely coiled convolutions withiiithe said chamber, one end of the supply pipe being connected to asource of liquid supply, and the other to the inlet to a gas enginecylinder, an elec tric heating coil immediately surrounding theconvolutions of the supply pipe, and a terminal secured in the casingand to which one end of the heating coil is connected, the other end ofthe electric heating coil being grounded in the casing.

3. A primer for gas engines comprising a mixing chamber, a supply tank,a casing intermediate of and integral with the said supply tank andmixing chamber, a helically coiled supply pipe within the chamberinclosed by the said casing and havingone end Copies ofthis patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the in communication withthe supply tank and the other end in communication with the mixingchamber, and an electric heating coil surrounding and wound immediatelyupon the convolutions of the supply pipe, the helically coiled supplypipe being open ended and the same with the electric heating coil beingplaced within the chamber in the casing so as to leave space forcirculation between the same and the walls of the said casing.

4. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, a supplytank, a mixing chamber, a casing intermediate of and integral with thesaid supply tank and mixing chamber, a helically coiled supply pipewithin the said casing with one end in communication with the supplytank and the other in communication with the mixing chamber, an electricheating coil surrounding the convolutions of the said supply pipe withinthe said casing, aspring actuated valve for permitting the liquid fuelto flow from the supply tank to the supply pipe and preventing itsreturn, and a needle valve for regulating the admission of the liquidfuel from the said supply pipe to the said mixing chamber.

Signed by me this th day of April, 1915.

WILBERT T. BIN TLIFF.

Commissioner of Patent;

Washington, D. 0.

